Few desserts are as comforting as a homemade apple pie, and few are as disappointing when the bottom crust comes out pale and damp. This recipe solves that with two simple steps: cooking the apples briefly first and baking the pie on a preheated tray. It serves eight.
Ingredients
- 350 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 225 g cold butter, diced
- 1 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt for the pastry
- 6 to 8 tbsp ice-cold water
- 1.2 kg apples, a mix of tart and sweet varieties
- 100 g brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 30 g butter for the filling
- 1 egg, beaten, and 1 tbsp semolina
Method
Rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt until it looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized lumps. Add the water a spoonful at a time until the dough just holds together. Divide in two, flatten into discs, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Peel, core and slice the apples about 5 mm thick. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the apples, sugar, spices and lemon juice and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until just softened and juicy. Stir in the cornstarch, cook for one more minute until the juices thicken, then let the filling cool completely.
Heat the oven to 220°C and place a heavy baking tray on the lowest shelf to heat up. Roll out one disc and line a 23 cm metal or glass pie dish. Brush the base with beaten egg and sprinkle with the semolina. Add the cooled filling, cover with the second sheet of pastry, crimp the edges and cut a few steam vents. Brush the top with egg.
Set the pie on the hot tray and bake for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 180°C and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until deep golden and bubbling through the vents. Cover the edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
The no-soggy-bottom trick
Three things work together. Precooking the apples releases much of their water before baking. The egg and semolina layer seals the pastry and soaks up stray juice. And the hot tray sends heat straight into the base from the first minute, so it bakes crisp before the filling can soften it.
Let the pie rest for at least two hours before slicing, so the filling sets. Serve with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream.
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